Fire and Ice
by hanaxsongs
Summary: She was fire. He was ice. (Spoilers for Season 1)


She was fire.

It was an unwritten rule in the Tracy household that whenever Kayo was angry, you should not cross her path lest you got swept up in her rampage. The small and somewhat petite woman with rough hands and well tone muscles carried a fire within her that would not quench, her rage obvious as a permanent scowl was on her face, her presence an overwhelming one as every member of the household would avoid her. Emerging from the ship hangers with the burning turmoil of anger normally resulted in her heading straight to the training room, where she would exercise until exhaustion, her fists curled, her knuckles roughened up as she punched the sand filled bag over and over again, red and cut open.

And yet, not even the thrill of feeling her body burning and aching could not quench her anger this time. Harsh words exchanged between her and Scott, followed by the sound of fragile plates shattering, and the fear that she would further escalate her carnage was enough to call John from space, the only person that the brothers knew that could calm her, John more often than not being the calm rock that tethered Kayo to the ground.

"Kayo." John said, both of them in the kitchen alone, John sitting at the counter as Kayo angrily passed around, his eyes trailing her movements as she stomped lines onto the hardwood floor, "Kayo, what's wrong?"

"Nothing! Nothing is wrong!" Kayo shouted, her voice raising with rage, spitting venom at John, "I'm fine!"

"Kayo, it's okay." John said, trying to assure, not calm, the enraged Kayo as he still sat away from her, "Please, just tell me why you're angry."

"I'll tell you why I'm angry, John Tracy." Kayo snarled through gritted teeth, her face now inches away from John, "HE GOT AWAY AGAIN."

John recoiled from her in his seat, the ferocity of her words surprised him, yet he did not waver otherwise.

"The Hood?"

"Yes, John!" Kayo replied, now turning away from his gaze, yet still felt his sympathetic eyes behind her back, "And I let him get away... again."

"But Kayo-"

"-We can always catch him another time." Kayo interrupted John, a phrase that she was always told, "And yet he always manages to get away from us. What if he found us? What happens if he were to hurt you or your brothers or anyone else? It'll be my fault, John. My fault for not catching him and putting him where he can't harm others. John, I can't live with myself if ANY of you get hurt because of him, John."

"But you help us stop him from hurting people, Kayo." John pointed out, "I've counted more times where you've stopped him from causing more damage than any of my brothers. You stayed up longer nights than I have out in Thunderbird S just to find him."

"But-"

"It's enough, Kayo." John reassured her, noticing the tears that gleamed down her face. Gesturing for her to come towards him, John opened his arms, allowing Kayo to envelop him in a hug, his own wrapping around her, "It's enough."

"Do you think I can do it?" Kayo asked him, her voice breaking, "Do you think I can stop him."

"I do, Kayo."

He was ice.

It was a rarity to see John angry, the quiet, tall Tracy was mostly mild mannered, doing his own thing while the world around him moved on, the man that lived among the stars a hard one to anger. Yet he was human, his emotions inescapable like the rest of humanity, yet he would always wear a facade of calmness, as if nothing happened as rage continued to slowly churn inside him. Isolation, peace, quiet and meditation was his way of coping, yet at times even he could not contain the emotion, his green eyes venomous as his words poisoning anyone who came in contact with him.

Yet it was Kayo's turn to calm him. All of his brothers, even his closest brother Scott could not take him away from his mood, Kayo carefully manoeuvring towards him as he sat on his favourite spot on the island, looking out at the stars twinkling from the distance against the dark sky. A snap from a twig beneath her feet was all it took for John to turn his head, a green eye glaring at her.

"Go away." John muttered, anger clearly on his face despite the dim light from the moon.

"John-"

"I said. Go. Away."

His words dripped with hard bitterness as he spoke, contrasting the normally soft spoken, kind voice Kayo normally heard. Instinctively Kayo backed away, yet realised that John was pushing her away.

"I won't." she said, rebelling against John's request, her stubborn, steadfast nature showing as she made her way towards him, yet she inside feared the normally gentle man.

"Kayo-"

"You're angry and upset and Scott won't stop worrying about you." she interrupted him, getting angry herself as she walked and sat down next to him, her own eyes staring as fiercely as his, "So tell me, John. Why are you angry?"

"I'm angry at myself."

"Why?"

"Because," John started, taking a deep breath, Kayo bracing herself for him to raise his voice, "I'm angry at myself for you lying to me."

"Why!?"

"Because I get what you must have been going through, Kayo, I knew why you withheld that you were related to the Hood, yet I'm upset because you did, and-"

"-you're angry at you for feeling upset?" Kayo asked, interrupting John, him replying with a firm nod and a deep, shaky breath.

A pause.

"I didn't mean for anyone to have found out this way. I was about to tell you and the others."

"I know, Kayo. But-"

"-I know but he's gone, John. And I don't care if you're upset at me, John. You're allowed to not be okay towards things other people do, you know."

John nodded slowly as he turned away. A moment of silence followed, Kayo seeing the anger dissipate from his expression. He turned towards her.

"I feel guilty."

"Don't-"

"But I do, Kayo." John muttered, now avoiding her gaze as he looked down at the ground.

"John. Look at me."

John raised his head to look at Kayo.

"It's okay." she assured him, her hand moving to rest on his.

Another paused followed.

"Hey, John."

"Yes, Kayo?"

"Remember when you said that I would catch him, the Hood."

"Yes?"

"You were right." Kayo giggled.


End file.
